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Europe is confiscating more cocaine than ever before and yet authorities are powerless to stop the booming trade. A look inside a business that now functions almost like any other economic activity. Sex is sold here, porn movies are shown on TV, and the ladies who serve are half-naked. Some customers though are no longer able to have sex, and they didn't come to the brothel for that anyway, but for something better: They're here for crack, coupled with sexual arousal, the hottest rush they know, better than any orgasm. And that's why they stay, for a day, two, maybe even three, until they are completely exhausted with euphoria, their credit spent, their bill in the five figure range and the new week ahead of them can no longer be put off. Then they sneak off. They go home or back to the office, eagerly awaiting the next crack or cocaine orgy in a few weeks. Or they wind up in addiction therapy with specialists like Thilo Beck, where they complain about how depressing it is to sink into a normal life with normal sex. Sex sells, cocaine even better. The story that addiction specialist Beck tells us about Zurich brothels and drug use, is a drop in the ocean of a gigantic wave of cocaine that is currently flooding Europe: The stimulant powder is purer, cheaper and more readily available than ever before. If one cuts 10 lines from this gram, they can get a high for 10 francs, which is cheaper than a drink at a bar. Cocaine has gone from being a luxury drug for the rich, beautiful and important, to a popular drug that anyone can buy and anyone can afford; and that is available everywhere, according to experts who know the scene and police investigation files. One can buy coke on the street, have it sent by post or order it via Telegram, Instagram or even TikTok. A courier then delivers free of charge — it's a kind of Uber for sniffs. And all professions, classes, genders and age groups take part in snorting and dealing — from bankers and bakers to construction workers. From the most addicted polytoxicomaniac, to stressed out office workers and students, to weekend partygoers. From the professional dealer to the company patron whose SME has problems, to the family man who has to finance a renovation of his house. From teenagers to people in their mid-forties to pensioners. According to a study, the Swiss snort and smoke a total of five tons of cocaine per year, worth around million francs. And even if there is a lack of precise, new data on consumption, there are many indications that there are even more users today: Cocaine residue in the wastewater of Switzerland's major cities is on the rise, with Zurich, Basel and Geneva firmly in Europe's top 10 according to residue levels. Police are seizing more and more cocaine, and therapists are having to treat more users. And in Zurich's contact and drop-in centers, addicts who boil cocaine with baking soda or ammonia and then smoke it as crack or freebase it have increased their consumption by a quarter in the last three years. Cocaine is booming. Yes, it almost seems like the late 19th century again. Cocaine was a popular substance, first recommended to morphine addicts, then to bored upper-class ladies, before it helped a drink called Coca-Cola make its breakthrough. The only difference is that the substance is now illegal. And the business is an El Dorado for organized crime, for which Europe has now replaced the U. On the old continent, demand is greater today, the price is higher and smuggling is easier. For the South American cartels, this means more profit with less risk, so they prefer to ship their goods to Europe. Kristian Vanderwaeren, a Belgian customs director, stands guard at the largest entry point to the European market, and doesn't know whether he should be pleased or worried. In , he and his team intercepted tons of cocaine at the port of Antwerp — a new record, as has been the case each year since see chart. And so much that customs officers cannot keep up with burning the material — it sometimes remains in storage for days. Cocaine is smuggled into Europe in myriad creative and almost unimaginable ways. The drug arrives in submarines, attached to ship hulls, hidden in hollowed-out pineapples or impregnated in textiles. Once the cargo has arrived at the port of destination, other gangs break open the container and secure the material, either at the port or after customs clearance outside. Transporters then take over the drug shipment and send it on its way to the countries of destination, including Switzerland. This is often as simple as it sounds. Twelve million freight containers arrive in Antwerp every year, including , from South America, many of them with perishable goods that need to be transported quickly. Also included are bribes of tens of thousands of euros to get port employees or customs officers to look the other way at the right moment, point to a specific container or reveal its digital pickup code. This is why Belgium is now upgrading. A hundred new jobs will be created at the port and 14 additional scanners procured. However the plan and recent successes have a downside: The more drug dealers are disturbed, the more they fight back, against each other and against the state. Attacks and shootings have been on the rise in Belgium for years. During their investigations, the police have come across torture chambers run by local gangs, and the former Belgian justice minister had to hide in a safe house for weeks for fear of being kidnapped. It is a spiral of violence whose latest twist is particularly cynical. His name should not appear in the media to ensure his security — the reason for this is written in matrix form on a board behind him. It shows the different hierarchies in the drug business, with runners at the bottom, small and large distributors further up, then importers, and finally, outlined in red, organized crime. This is the one the experienced police officer and his colleagues have in their sights and that partners from the Netherlands and Belgium are urgently warning him about. Not that the investigator needed the tip. This became apparent when the Belgian drug dealer Flor Bressers was arrested in Zurich two years ago. He had used a fake identity and continued to manage his business. Investigators have accused him of importing tons of cocaine into Europe and delivering large quantities of it to Switzerland. He invested and spent his winnings in the country; his girlfriend alone spent 2. Bressers operated at a level primarily targeted by federal police — as a broker. These are the professionals in organized crime who organize the cocaine business in the name of or on behalf of large criminal groups and for commission, in principle like a completely normal economic activity. Gone are the days when a cartel or mafia controlled the trade from cultivation to sale on the street. Today, the cocaine trade functions along a supply chain based on the division of labor that includes many links — the producers and local buyers in South America, the cartels that prepare the drugs for export by the ton, then the brokers who organize the transport. These in turn hire gangs that control European ports, as well as transporters and buyers for the major cities. And they have contact with lawyers, accountants and bankers who help to launder the profits. Anyone who can contribute to this supply chain will be in business. And the criminal groups behind them, such as the Italian 'Ndrangheta or Albanian mafia, work together across families, ethnic groups and national borders — better than the police. This became apparent three years ago when European investigators succeeded in cracking the encrypted communication service Sky ECC, which was used for international drug trafficking. Around 3, user profiles were active in the Swiss mobile network over the short or long term, and over 40 investigations are currently underway in Switzerland based on this case alone. The origin of the suspects resembles an elimination round for the European Football Championship: Serbs, Albanians, Germans, Turks, Swiss, Dutch and many more — all united on the same chat platform. The routes by which cocaine reaches Switzerland are just as diverse — from the ports on the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean, often via car couriers or in trucks. It is also transported via passenger airplane, hidden in airfreight or in the stomachs of swallowers who transport up to a kilo in finger cots. You smoke and immediately become euphoric, creative and fully focused. Frank name changed comes out of a tent where addicts can trade small amounts of heroin and cocaine with each other undisturbed. Frank tells us how he got here: At first it was just joints, then freebasing for the kick, later heroin to come down for his job at the bank, until it just didn't work anymore. Frank has been an addict for 25 years now. At the moment he has his addiction at least somewhat under control, he says, thanks to the heroin program and the contact centers. One can tell that he wasn't always like this. That morning he is there to freebase. He registers at the consumption room. Soon, a member of the staff calls him. He is allowed inside and now has 30 minutes to boil and smoke his cocaine at one of the small tables. Frank can't imagine that he will ever get off the drug. It never ends,» he says. In a way, Frank is the last link in the supply chain of the international drug trade, which causes suffering for many people at the beginning and end, a small livelihood for many in between and obscene profits for a few in the middle. Frank is far removed from these profiteers, both socially and physically. The cocaine he procures on the streets of Zurich is not distributed there by criminal organizations, nor is there a Zurich cocaine king. In fact, to exaggerate somewhat, dealing has become a popular sport. It is mainly driven by local criminals who order the drugs via middlemen in the Netherlands or Belgium. They receive them in return for advance payment and immediately pass them on to their distributors in Zurich. From there, it immediately seeps down through intricate networks. What is currently arriving is described by Stefan Nebl, the city police's deputy head of the narcotics group, as an «epic oversupply. However, no matter how much cocaine the police seize in Belgium, Bern or Zurich, nothing changes on the street. Despite all the successes and records, supply remains high and prices stable at a low level. At best, when a broker like Bressers is arrested, the engine stutters briefly before continuing at the same pace, even in Switzerland. What Switzerland experienced in with regard to cocaine and especially crack was unusual, he says. The fact that strong and quickly addictive crack is in fashion is nothing new, he adds. But suddenly consumption has become openly visible, and not just in hot spots like Geneva or Zurich, but also in smaller towns like Chur, Solothurn, Brugg or Lugano. It is often used by known addicts, such as Frank in Zurich's Kreis 4 district. However, there are also indications that new groups are turning to crack cocaine use, such as young men with migration backgrounds, he says. The federal government has also noticed. In November, the Federal Office of Public Health convened experts from cantons, cities and specialist bodies for an exchange. Nevertheless, the country's proven addiction and drug policy with its four pillars of prevention, therapy, harm reduction and repression are still effective, she says. They could help to prevent open drug scenes with their misery and violence and improve the precarious situation of users, she adds. Now it is important to support the newly affected cities with good examples of implementation, so that they too can create protected spaces for consumption. And we will certainly have to keep an eye on the situation in the summer, she says. Nobody knows for sure, but the forecast is for even more of the white powder. Europol expects the flood of cocaine to increase further. And this is despite the fact that the EU has already identified drug trafficking as one of its greatest security threats and launched a broad-based action plan against it last fall. The police in Bern and Zurich will try to help their European colleagues, and otherwise disrupt the business of small and large traders in their own country — at least to the extent that security and public order are maintained. However, Rhyner and his colleagues have long since abandoned the illusion of stopping the illegal drug trade with these measures. They must be satisfied with being able to say: «If you deal in Zurich for five years, you run a high risk of being arrested. The problem though is that the next person will immediately take their place. Global reporting from Switzerland. Independent since The NZZ is one of the preeminent news sources in the German-speaking world, with a tradition of independent, high-quality journalism reaching back over years. With an industry-leading network of foreign correspondents and a team of expert editors in Zurich, we offer fact-based analyses, in-depth investigations and top-notch reporting: a global view with a fresh perspective. Sign up for our free newsletter or follow us on Twitter , Facebook or WhatsApp. Inside Europe. Daniel Friedli January 25, 12 min. A special razor blade and a small «vacuum cleaner» for preparing and sniffing cocaine. Goran Basic. Banana on the outside, cocaine on the inside: drugs found at the port of Antwerp. One gram of cocaine, for sale for around francs. Eric Gujer October 21, 7 min. International View. Eflamm Mordrelle October 17, 6 min. Manfred Rist October 17, 8 min.

How Belgium became Europe’s port of call for cocaine

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These datasets underpin the analysis presented in the agency's work. Most data may be viewed interactively on screen and downloaded in Excel format. All countries. Topics A-Z. The content in this section is aimed at anyone involved in planning, implementing or making decisions about health and social responses. Best practice. We have developed a systemic approach that brings together the human networks, processes and scientific tools necessary for collecting, analysing and reporting on the many aspects of the European drugs phenomenon. Explore our wide range of publications, videos and infographics on the drugs problem and how Europe is responding to it. All publications. More events. More news. We are your source of drug-related expertise in Europe. We prepare and share independent, scientifically validated knowledge, alerts and recommendations. About the EUDA. Much of our knowledge about cocaine trafficking routes results from law enforcement activity and intelligence. Information on types and quantities of drugs seized and information on the origin and destination of shipments give indications of the main routes and modes of transport. However, such information is affected by factors such as law enforcement strategies, resources and priorities, as well as temporary changes to routes and practices in response to interdiction efforts or new opportunities. Hence, caution is needed in interpreting these data. The 1 tonnes of cocaine seized worldwide in was the highest ever to be reported. As in previous years, the vast majority of the global total was seized in the Americas, followed by western and central Europe. Although small in comparison with the Americas and Europe, quantities seized in emerging cocaine markets in Africa and Asia also reached record highs in UNODC, a see Figure Global quantity of cocaine seized. The source data for this graphic is available in the source table on this page. Record levels of cocaine production have been matched by record quantities seized, especially from containers handled in the numerous ports along the transatlantic cocaine routes. Most of the cocaine seized in the EU is transported by sea, primarily in maritime shipping containers. Cocaine is shipped to the EU directly from the countries of production but also from neighbouring countries of departure in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean. Based on quantities of cocaine seized in European ports and in ports elsewhere destined for Europe see Box Detailed analysis of cocaine seized in or destined for EU , Brazil about 71 tonnes , Ecuador The latter is a relative newcomer in the top countries of origin for shipments destined for Europe, confirming that Central America now has a more significant role EMCDDA and Europol, This is likely to reflect a diversification of trafficking routes within the Americas. In total, 25 countries in the Americas reported seizures of cocaine with Europe as the intended destination in In addition to the countries previously listed, also mentioned are Paraguay There have traditionally been two main areas through which maritime and air shipments of cocaine transit en route to Europe: the Caribbean, and the West African mainland and neighbouring islands of Cape Verde, Madeira and the Canaries. While these are likely to remain significant transit areas, there are indications that North Africa continues to grow in importance and that transhipment through the Western Balkans, while remaining more limited in scope, may also have increased. From the Caribbean, cocaine is typically shipped on pleasure craft via the Azores, or by air, either on direct flights or via a variety of transit points. The quantities of cocaine seized in the West African mainland and neighbouring islands, together with those seized in Europe coming from the region appear to be small in comparison to the amounts seized at departure points in the Americas. Data reported at the international level indicate that cocaine seizures in West Africa totalled This includes a finding that more than 16 tonnes of cocaine was seized in the region that year, reversing the dearth of seizures recorded since Bird, Large seizures were also reported in This includes a shipment of 2. According to media reporting, Gambian drug authorities were searching for the owner of the consignment, a French national, in connection with the incident News24, ; Reuters, Although considerably less cocaine was seized in North Africa 1. However, developments in the last four or five years suggest that the region, particularly its coasts on the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, is a growing transit and storage hub for cocaine both arriving by sea directly from South America and coming via West Africa by land for onward transport to Europe or elsewhere, for instance the Middle East EMCDDA and Europol, ; GI TOC, The main cocaine hub of North Africa is probably Morocco. The country has traditionally seized the largest quantities of cocaine in the region, which continued in with seizures totalling 1. There are indications that the Moroccan total could be even higher. For instance, in October , more than 1. The drugs were concealed in a container on a ship that had departed from Brazil and was bound for Antwerp, Belgium, and Portbury, a middle-sized port in Bristol, United Kingdom Kundu, On a much smaller scale than Morocco, international cocaine trafficking activities in Algeria and Libya reported in the last edition of this report EMCDDA and Europol, ; Micaleff, appear to have continued in the recent period. In , Algeria reported seizing about kilograms UNODC, a , while there are indications that Libyan seizures amounted to over 44 kilograms. In December , there were two significant seizures from containers bound for Libya: one in Ecuador on a container bound for Libya and Syria kilograms , and another in Malta from a container originating in Ecuador kilograms Dixon, This area is a known hub for the transhipment of drugs at sea, particularly cannabis resin from Morocco, on ships bound for Europe or Libya, while significant quantities of cocaine have been seized in the port of Oran recently Ben Yahia and Farrah, For instance, non-routine data reported by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency Frontex on drug seizures at a number of border posts between the EU and the Western Balkans in and indicate that comparatively small amounts of cocaine enter the EU from that region. Meanwhile, Frontex data confirm the large quantities of cocaine seized in Spain, a traditional entry point for cocaine into the EU Frontex, Nevertheless, individual seizures in and could suggest that cocaine trafficking through ports in the Western Balkan region, particularly in Albania and Montenegro, may have increased. For example, kilograms was seized in the port of Durres, Albania in April Exit. Montenegrin authorities also suspect that more than 3 tonnes were smuggled through the port of Bar in the second half of Kajosevic, Furthermore, Kosovo seized a shipment of kilograms of cocaine in May after it had been smuggled through the Albanian port of Durres Halili, For the fourth consecutive year, record amounts of cocaine were seized in Europe in At Meanwhile, new records were also established elsewhere in , including Greece 1. This indicates that entry points of cocaine shipments are diversifying and that cocaine consumer markets are developing in eastern Europe including Turkey see Cocaine retail markets: multiple indicators suggest continued growth and diversification. Source: The source data for this graphic is available in the source table on this page. Data available for a few key countries indicate that even larger quantities of cocaine were seized in the EU in For instance, data on cocaine seizures in Belgium indicate that almost 92 tonnes of cocaine was seized in , almost all in the port of Antwerp. If seizures made elsewhere of shipments that were destined for Antwerp are taken into account, then close to tonnes of cocaine was seized in connection with Antwerp in Belgian Federal Police, personal communication. The preliminary data available from a few countries indicates that more than tonnes of cocaine were seized in the EU in , exceeding the previous record European total Cocaine traffickers flexibly use a wide range of innovative trafficking methods, which evolve over time in response to enforcement efforts and other factors. Although cocaine also enters the EU by air, the main route used to smuggle the drug into Europe is still the maritime route from South America to western Europe, especially taking advantage of the licit containerised trade. Maritime transport allows the smuggling of large quantities, and the nature of international commercial maritime traffic means that a vast number of routes can be and are used. In addition, smaller, private sailing boats or even semi-submersible vessels are capable of bringing in large quantities of cocaine in single shipments, entering Europe at many points see Box First two semi-submersible drug-smuggling vessels captured in Europe. Criminal networks involved in cocaine trafficking now also more frequently employ methods of transport such as mother ships, pleasure craft, fishing vessels, cruise ships and the drop-off method. Major European container ports have recorded many seizures of large cocaine shipments in recent years. In addition to targeting major ports, organised criminal networks are now increasingly shipping larger amounts of cocaine from South America to smaller ports in the EU or neighbouring countries, where security measures may be easier to circumvent. Corruption of maritime and aviation port employees and security officials throughout Europe is, in most cases, a key condition for the successful use of these facilities for cocaine importation by criminal networks. Most of the cocaine available in Europe continues to be smuggled into the largest container ports of the EU located in Belgium Antwerp , the Netherlands Rotterdam and Spain Valencia and Algeciras. The German authorities have attributed the recent increase in seizures in the port of Hamburg to the activities of Balkan and Albanian-speaking organised crime networks BKA, The use of these ports shows how criminal networks continue to exploit established commercial maritime routes between Latin America and Europe to smuggle cocaine into the EU. Taking advantage of the large volume of containerised trade in goods between the two regions, criminal networks are able to conceal large quantities of cocaine in individual shipments. As a result, the main European container ports have recorded increasing numbers of large-volume cocaine seizures in recent years. While these main container ports continue to be targeted, it is likely that law enforcement activities at these facilities have pushed some criminal networks to find alternative smuggling routes, resulting in a recent intensification of cocaine shipments to smaller ports in the EU or in neighbouring countries where security measures may be viewed as easier to evade. The available data suggest that cocaine trafficking towards the EU continued during the COVID pandemic without any apparent disruption. At least tonnes of cocaine destined for Europe was seized in Some tonnes was seized at departure ports located in Latin America, and approximately tonnes was seized at EU ports. As in previous years, the largest quantity of cocaine in the EU was seized in Belgian ports 69 tonnes , followed by Dutch 45 tonnes and Spanish ports 26 tonnes. In Latin America, the largest amount was seized at ports in Brazil 45 tonnes , Ecuador 24 tonnes and Colombia 18 tonnes see Figure Top 10 countries for quantity of cocaine destined for Europe seized at ports in A total of 60 tonnes of cocaine was seized in such secondary EU ports in see Figure Top 10 EU seizing ports for quantity of cocaine. For a description of different concealment methods, see Figure Maritime trafficking: diversification of modus operandi. The available data indicates that in Latin America, the largest quantities of cocaine destined for Europe were seized in Guayaquil, Ecuador 23 tonnes , and Santos, Brazil 21 tonnes. If all seizures departing from these ports are taken into consideration, totalling about 61 tonnes shipped from Guayaquil and 31 tonnes from Santos, it becomes clear that these two ports are used intensively by cocaine trafficking criminal networks. Analysis of concealment methods emphasises some key features that enable large quantities of cocaine to be smuggled to the EU. Criminal networks are creative and appear to be able to rapidly adapt to avoid detection, which explains why a range of modi operandi are implemented. The data indicate that the port of Antwerp is probably the main entry point for cocaine smuggled into the EU. Europol intelligence suggests that most of the cocaine entering Antwerp is destined initially for the Netherlands, where further distribution is arranged. Focusing exclusively on cocaine seized outside Europe and destined for Belgian ports in the period, a variety of modi operandi can be observed in the 10 main shipping ports see Figure Top 10 source ports for quantity of cocaine destined for Belgian ports. The reasons for this are unclear and require additional research and closer monitoring. That said, Ecuador, which shares land borders with both Colombia and Peru, two of the main cocaine-producing countries, seems to have transformed in the last decade or so from a transit country into a major trafficking hub. Furthermore, it is now also reportedly emerging as a cocaine-producing country Pichel, Such transformation is thought to have fuelled recent violence between local gangs rumoured to be used by important cocaine trafficking networks from Colombia and Mexico. A recent surge in assassinations, which nearly doubled between and , including violent prison gang riots in which hundreds of inmates died in , are reportedly linked with cocaine trafficking in the country, particularly in the port of Guayaquil. Only the top 5 ports with data available for all years are shown. Operations supported by Europol have exposed the role played by corruption in the functioning of drug markets in Europe, a factor that may have been underestimated in the past. Corruption is a crime enabler for all types of criminal activities and is a significant facilitator of drug trafficking activities. In this regard, corruption is used by traffickers to gain entry to ports, to access drugs hidden in containers, to set up or ensure control over businesses used as covers for smuggling activities, such as renting transport vehicles or storage premises, and also to facilitate money laundering, among others. Indeed, various modi operandi used to smuggle cocaine through EU ports require corruption, and recent investigations in some EU ports have provided valuable insights on the methods used by criminal networks to retrieve cocaine shipments from containers in the EU. Of course, the threat of corruption is not restricted to EU ports, since it is also used in most other ports targeted by criminal groups globally. Subsequently, criminal actors will need to introduce the drugs into the container and replace the seal that has been broken during this process with a counterfeited one. Usually, this operation takes place after customs have cleared the container. In the destination port, the criminal network will, again, need inside help and information as they usually require the targeted container to be placed in a specific location in order to facilitate access to it, for instance on the ground and with unimpeded access to the doors. Additionally, they must receive confirmation that the container has been placed in the desired location and, depending on the type of rip-off method used, extract the cocaine from the container and transport it outside the port area. Other modi operandi may also require corruption as a facilitator. Concealing cocaine within shipments of legitimate goods can also use corruption, for instance in order to be informed and take necessary action if the container has been selected for physical inspection, or to receive customs clearance without such inspection. According to a law enforcement official from Seaport Police, a unit of the Dutch Police, interviewed in the press in , acts of corruption involving staff from shipping companies were identified in the port of Rotterdam in the previous two and a half years Driessen and Meeus, An investigation that led to the seizure of An ex-governor, a harbour master, three police officers and a lawyer were among the 22 suspects arrested during this operation Eeckhaut, Workers in other large EU ports such as Le Havre, France, or Alicante, Spain, have been targeted by criminal networks and engaged to facilitate cocaine importation. Recruitment into corrupt activities is usually carried out by offering large sums of cash or other valuable assets and services, but can also be achieved using violence and intimidation Gil, Kidnappings and murders of port workers have been reported in various EU ports in recent years Auvray, ; Europol, e. Cocaine smuggling by air primarily involves the use of commercial passenger flights, cargo aircraft and general aviation private aircraft. Fairly large shipments of cocaine are smuggled directly from South America and the Caribbean to western Europe by private business aircraft, and use of this method is expected to increase in the future. Stricter border controls and more effective security checks may encourage criminal networks to use secondary international airports and small airfields see Box Private jets: the Achilles heel in the fight against cocaine trafficking by air. With some travel restrictions remaining in place and significantly reduced air passenger traffic, it is likely that the use of air couriers will remain limited compared to the pre-COVID period. In the pre-pandemic period, smaller quantities of cocaine were smuggled using commercial flights. Couriers flew from airports in South and Central America and the Caribbean to major European airports, either directly or after stopovers in countries such as Morocco, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates. After arrival at the main EU distribution hubs, cocaine shipments are primarily trafficked by road in passenger vehicles and lorries to local markets. Intra-EU trafficking of cocaine also involves commercial flights, light aircraft and helicopters, railway, sea transport, and post and parcel services. Cocaine loads are often hidden in sophisticated concealed compartments in cars, trucks and other vehicles, sometimes with shipments of other drugs. These compartments are also used to transport cash back to the distribution hubs. In addition, Europol intelligence indicates that some European criminal networks orchestrate cocaine shipments directly from South America to Asia without the drugs ever entering the EU. In , cocaine was the most frequently seized substance from air couriers intercepted at European airports and the third most frequently detected drug at European mail centres, after cannabis and other psychotropic substances Council of Europe, The COVID pandemic accelerated an expansion in the use of post and parcel services to fulfil orders placed online. Postal and parcel services are exploited for the distribution of drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, synthetic drugs Council of Europe, , new psychoactive substances, counterfeit currency, stolen and fraudulent documents, and many other illicit commodities. The distribution of illicit goods using post and parcel services is set to increase further in line with the expected growth of online retail activity. Consult the list of references used in this resource. Homepage Quick links Quick links. GO Results hosted on duckduckgo. Main navigation Data Open related submenu Data. Latest data Prevalence of drug use Drug-induced deaths Infectious diseases Problem drug use Treatment demand Seizures of drugs Price, purity and potency. Drug use and prison Drug law offences Health and social responses Drug checking Hospital emergencies data Syringe residues data Wastewater analysis Data catalogue. Selected topics Alternatives to coercive sanctions Cannabis Cannabis policy Cocaine Darknet markets Drug checking Drug consumption facilities Drug markets Drug-related deaths Drug-related infectious diseases. Recently published Findings from a scoping literature…. Penalties at a glance. Frequently asked questions FAQ : drug…. FAQ: therapeutic use of psychedelic…. Viral hepatitis elimination barometer…. EU Drug Market: New psychoactive…. EU Drug Market: Drivers and facilitators. Statistical Bulletin home. Quick links Search news Subscribe newsletter for recent news Subscribe to news releases. On this page. Europe and the global cocaine trade. PDF is being prepared. This make take up to a minute. Once the PDF is ready it will appear in this tab. Sorry, the download of the PDF failed. Last update: 6 May

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